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Medal of Honor recipients have been few and far between

Leroy Petry is one of two living recipients of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. |
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A 2009 Army Times study found that Medals of Honor were awarded at a rate of 2.3 per 100,000 troops serving to 2.9 per 100,000 from World War I through the Vietnam War. But since the Sept. 11 attacks, that rate had fallen to one in a million, with only five awards at the time.

The study came at a time when many people saw the military as too stingy with the award. Many service members are “amazed that others have been equally as brave and not gotten the recognition,” Norton said.

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The advancing technology of modern warfare makes the kind of personal heroism that earns the Medal of Honor harder to achieve, Norton said. But others have suggested military leaders adopted a more cautious approach after earlier attempts to highlight stories deemed heroic fell apart under review.

Former Army Private 1st Class Jessica Lynch publicly denounced as propaganda the details released by the Pentagon of her wounding and capture by Iraqi forces in March 2003. And the family of NFL star-turned-Army Ranger Pat Tillman engaged in a bitter battle with Pentagon officials for years over whether his April 2004 death by friendly fire in Afghanistan was covered up to protect the initial heroic account the military released to the public.

There’s no such problem with Petry’s story. It’s the tale of a Ranger who kept fighting after being shot in both legs and losing his right hand while trying to save two comrades from an enemy grenade during a raid in eastern Afghanistan on Memorial Day in 2008, and who demanded medical care for other wounded soldiers before he got help. He then returned for a sixth tour of duty in Afghanistan even after recovering from his wounds.

Petry, who has since reenlisted and now works as a liaison for other wounded special operations troops, said he was doing his job, just like the many thousands of others who serve in the military.

“A lot of people were wondering, during the ceremony, what did you lean over and tell the president?” Petry asked. “What I told him was, ‘It makes it a little bit easier to receive this high honor today, sir, because knowing a lot of my heroes, my family and my friends are in the audience. … those who are serving in the military, a lot of these generals and colonels and all these officers and sergeant majors and guys – and young men and women when they join the service, who end up putting 20 years in, and still dedicated and saying, ‘Yes, I will. Yes, I will’ — 30 years, 30-plus years,’” he said.

“How is that not a hero?” he added. “To me, it’s easy when I see those guys and say … when I wear this, I wear it for you, too, because they’re still answering the call, and those overseas, too.”

Readers' Comments (12)

I'm surprised that President Obama hasn't issued a Presidential directive that 30 % of CMO recipients must be awarded to minorities in the name of diversity and political correctness.

To achieve this goal he will lower the criteria of being awarded the CMO just as he did by lowering the academic standards for minorities who want to attend our military service academies and serve in our country's Officers Corps, as Adm. Mullen said, "in the name of diversity."

Side Note: Remember what the Officers Good Conduct Medal was during the Vietnam war ? The Bronz Star.

Did you just insinuate that these soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor because of their race, not their bravery? You absolute piece of human waste.

No I didn't, but I'm saying you might start seeing individuals being awarded the CMO in the near future where race or ethnicity will play a factor just to fill a quota in the name of liberal PC diversity.

It's already being done with our military services officers corps. Where President Obama had the standards lowered for minorities where as whites still must meet the high standards that have been in place for decades to become an commissioned officer..

Obama is in the process of changing the face of the U.S. military, in the name of diversity. Look at the liberals, they been using the military for social engineering for decades with disastrous results like Project 100,000 during the Vietnam war.

Obama is also going after the customs and long time traditions of our military services. Those in the navy community were outraged a few months ago when Obama had a U.S. Navy ship named after a leftist union organizer who in his own words said "The worse time in my life was when I was in the navy." The Navy Ship Cesar Chavez. Under navy traditions, that class of ship is suppose to be named after famous explorers, not community or union organisers who hate the navy. Obama doesn't even respect our traditions and customs.

"Very few" - DUH. It's always been that way. Why is this suddenly news to the Democrats?

This is not another Democrat "Feel good' award where everyone must be treated equally whether they have earned it or not. Kind of like Democrat sports for children where there are no points and nobody "wins" otherwise someone's feelings might get hurt.

It sounds like the Democrats resent that. And it sounds like they want to do what Democrats always do - and that is lower the standards at every level of society.

Between the lines there is a tone of Democrat whining and resentment in this article. Otherwise why mention a fact everyone already knows. That the MOH is very rarely awarded and out of the millions who have served since the nation was formed, only a relative handful have ever been awarded it. That's the way the highest military honor is in every nation on earth - worth it's salt.

This sounds like more of Politico trying to pump up their manchild Messiah. Kind of like Bill Clinton and his "I loath the American Military but admire the Soviet Army" remark. Democrats are pure PHONIES and closet communists.

The Democrat party is the party of Code Pinko, they are endorsed by the Communist party of America and have icons like Jane Fonda, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dorhn and every other Left Wing whiner, and anti-America agitator. They are the most virulent anti-American, anti-military party in America today and on the planet. I served under Republicans and Democrats. It was WAY better serving under Republicans.

The person who asserted that there were others who were just as deserving should be required to provide specific examples. Generalized assertions simply don't cut it. Petry lost a hand picking up a grenade to throw it back to save others. We know what he did but what about the unidentified others?

Using numbers can be misleading. Prior to Desert Storm, a number of commentators cited the of Saddam's army, how many tanks he had, etc. and then concluded that it would be a tough fight. Actually, it was one of the most lopsided military engagements in history. The Polish Army had quite the cavalry in 1939 - didn't do them much good against tanks. Warfare has evolved. There's no clearing of jungle islands with horrific casualties (more in some of those battles than Iraq and Afghanistan combined). The enemy doesn't have Tiger tanks that the GIs faced in Europe - nor an airforce (in fact, neither the Iraqi insurgents nor the Taliban have armored forces). Nor were our forces facing a surprise attack by hundreds of thousands as GI and Marines faced in Korea. We now have drones, attack helicopters and a wide range of other technological advantages. Many casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan were the result of IEDs, not firefights. The closest examples of IEDs in WWII, Korea and Vietnam were mines and booby traps. How many Medals of Honor were awarded for accidently stepping on a mine or triggering a booby trap.

Consequently, I'm skeptical of unsupported assertions regarding the number of MOH recipients given the nature of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am gratified to hear that Dakota Meyer USMC (RET) has been approved for the MOH. His actions were chronicled by author and Marine veteran Bing West (who was embedded with Meyer's unit ), who compared Meyer's actions with those of John Basilone in WWII. This action by the Pentagon will no doubt embarrass and aggravate Dakota Meyer, but he will just have to leave his farm in Kentucky and travel to Washington to humor the rest of us. Semper Fi.

It's a trusim that the Silver Star is a Medal of Honor event that nobody important witnesses.

Prior to Desert Storm, a number of commentators cited the of Saddam's army, how many tanks he had, etc. and then concluded that it would be a tough fight. Actually, it was one of the most lopsided military engagements in history

We called it "The Mother of Road Kills."

But the Medal of Honor is earned by one person at one time, and it doesn't matter how big the battle is -- only how great the event.

I served in combat in Vietnam. I saw many soldiers act bravely, but the only medal I ever saw anybody get was a broze star. Which is a high and good honor. But, as a radio operator in an infantry company I came to understand that among the soldiers themselve, the most highly regarded medal of all was the combat infantry badge.

It is the most respected military honor our nation bestows on its fighting men. To earn it, you must have been engaged in ground combat, in an infantry unit in a combat MOS. I didn't earn one because I was a non-infantry MOS, but I did not gripe about it. I didn't have to pull guard duty or night Listening post, which to me was the most scary task. Guys had to spend the night about 100 yards out from the perimeter of the company in the jungle, just 2 guys with a small radio and their weapons, in the pitch black, trying to hear any enemy sneaking around in the dark.

Anyway, the CIB is worn above ALL other decorations, on dress uniforms, and is the ONLY award allowed to be stitched into fatigue shirts, aside from paratroop wings or flight feathers. And even then, the CIB goes on top.

I served in combat in Vietnam. I saw many soldiers act bravely, but the only medal I ever saw anybody get was a broze star. Which is a high and good honor. But, as a radio operator in an infantry company I came to understand that among the soldiers themselve, the most highly regarded medal of all was the combat infantry badge.

I concur.

By the way, welcome home beisbolfan.

Back during the Clinton administration while at the Pentagon on business I noticed many army officers who didn't have their blouse covered with rows of ribbons, but only the army's Combat Infantry Badge being displayed because it was the only award that really counted.

Army's CIB

Today the army has a Combat Action Badge to cover soldiers who are engaged in combat but don't have an infantry MOS.

Approved for wear in May 2005. This is the official badge that is worn by Army Personnel. Full and authentic. We have the full line of Army badges and ranks. If we do not have it on our site, please e-mail us and we will get it on there for you as soon as possible. The Combat Action Badge (or CAB) is a military badge worn in the U.S. Army. The emblem features both a M9 bayonet and M67 grenade. The Combat Action Badge may be awarded to any soldier after the date of September 18, 2001 performing duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized, who is personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement. Award is not limited by one's branch of service or military occupational specialty, but is only authorized for wear on U.S. Army uniforms. A silver badge 2 inches (5.08cm) in width overall consisting of an oak wreath supporting a rectangle bearing a bayonet surmounting a grenade, all silver. Stars are added at the top to indicate subsequent awards; one star for the second award, two stars for the third award and three stars for the fourth award. In comparison to Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), the CAB has a silver rectangle backing rather than blue, and the CAB is 1 inch shorter in length than the CIB. " />

Army's CAB

The U.S. Marines also have their version of a combat action award, the Combat Action Ribbon. .Awarded to any Marine regardless of MOS who has been engaged in direct combat with the enemy. It's the only one I look for on a Marines uniform, it says's He's been there and done that.